A Whiter Shade of Pale
by Skabooom
Summary: When Tyler Evans wakes up in a strange room covered in injuries and bruises with no memory of how he got there, he has to struggle to find out what happened to him, and who in his life he can really trust. Post S2 EP.4 might include stuff from later ones
1. Introduction

The first thing that Tyler discovered when he opened his eyes was that he had no idea where he was. He was in a room, but didn't recognize it. He was resting on a bed, but it wasn't his own. The walls were white and bare, and the only furniture in the room aside from the bed was a nightstand. He tried to sit up, but fell back almost immediately, wincing in pain. As he looked down, he realized why. The majority of his chest was covered in white bandaging, and he had bruises on his arms. Tyler took a deep breath, trying to sit up once more.

"AHH!" He screamed out in pain as he fell back once again, unable to reach his goal, his body hurt too much. Tyler took a deep breath as he lay back, trying to assess the situation. He had no idea where he was, he had no idea what had happened to him, and he had no idea what to do. The last thing that he remembered was going to see Lisa on the ship, and judging by the injuries he had sustained, that had lead to something less than desirable.

Tyler closed his eyes, trying to think through what could be happening. Had the Fifth Column attacked the ship? Was he even still on the V ship? The only way he could get answers was to get up and find out for himself, but with the acute pain radiating through his entire body, that was not an option. After several minutes of thought, his head was pounding like crazy, and he could focus no longer. He reached up to try and rub his temporal lobes, hoping to alleviate some of the pain, but he realized quickly that his head was bandaged as well. _Well I guess that accounts for the inability to remember…_ He bit his lip, wondering if he would be able to remember if he tried again in a few minutes.

While he was waiting, hoping for some of the pain to subside, he pulled the blankets down to see where else he was injured. There was a cast on his left leg, but his right leg was bare, save for his boxer shorts. Who had undressed him? Who had put him here? If he were still on the V ship with Lisa and Anna, wouldn't they have just healed him? Something was definitely not right, and he was dying to know what it was…then again, maybe he was just dying.

He didn't know how long he was lying there, trying to understand what was going on, before the door opened. He lifted his head ever so slightly, trying to keep the pain to a minimum as a man that he didn't recognize entered the room. He quickly lay his head back down, closing his eyes. He didn't know if this was a friend or an enemy, and he didn't want to take the chance that it was someone vicious. What Tyler didn't know was that he was too late, the stranger had seen his raised head, and turned out the door.

"Hey, he's awake…" The voice carried, and that didn't comfort Tyler at all. "The boy's awake." Tyler heard footsteps, and a second strange man entered the room.

"Tyler Evans?" The second man asked, approaching the bed. Tyler gulped as he opened his eyes all of the way, looking at the stranger, his heart rate increasing as he began to fear for his life.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" Tyler asked.

"You don't know who I am?" the man looked at Tyler, concerned. "They must have hit you harder than we thought." He touched the bandage on Tyler's head.

"Do…do I know you?" Tyler asked, pulling backwards.

"Tyler, it's me…" The man bit his lip. "Gregory Pike."

"I don't know anyone by that name," Tyler said, beginning to feel more and more lightheaded.

"Tyler, what day is it?" the man asked.

"Tuesday," Tyler whispered. "October 5th."

"No." The man shook his head. "It's November 18th." The man looked concerned. "Is October 5th the last day you remember?"

"Yes…" Tyler gulped. Was it really November 18th? "Where am I?"

"For now, somewhere safe." The man turned away, heading for the door, whispering to the other man in a low voice as they prepared to leave.

"WAIT!" Tyler screamed after them. "WHERE AM I?" The men ignored Tyler, shutting the door behind themselves. "WAIT!" He shouted again, tears springing to his eyes. "PLEASE! WHO ARE YOU? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" He waited with baited breath, but there was no answer. He was alone.


	2. Separate the Lies Here From the Truth

Tyler lay back on the bed, feeling completely alone and far more confused than he had been before. He was in pain, someone named Gregory Pike was hosting him – potentially holding him against his will. He had no idea if he was allowed to leave because he couldn't find the strength to stand up and try. Tyler really didn't like being in the dark like this, knowing that a month of his life had gone on without him, that there were clearly very important things that had happened that had been entirely wiped from his memory. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know what had happened or what was happening now, and he had no idea what to do…assuming that there was anything he could do.

With a groan, he closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable on the bed. His whole body hurt and even though he had only just woken up, he was absolutely exhausted. The boy couldn't remember ever having been this confused in his life, and now that he was in this position, all that he wanted was to find a way out…but he didn't see one. He would have no choice but to wait for Gregory Pike to come back and, hopefully, explain to him what was going on.

Gregory had seemed kind enough, of course, but could Tyler trust that? He didn't know the man, nor did know anything about why he was being kept here. Until he saw a familiar face or was given other reason to believe that Gregory was a friend, he was not going to trust anyone; everything was just too unclear. There were too many questions bouncing around in his mind, no one to answer them, and he did not have the energy to process them. Unable to maintain a clear focus, Tyler began to feel dizzy. He closed his eyes, and only a few minutes later, he was back asleep.

This time when Tyler woke up, he was not alone. The man who had introduced himself as Gregory Pike was sitting in a chair next to the bed, and a young man, maybe 20 or 21, was leaning against the wall. Both were watching Tyler closely, and as Tyler came too, Gregory moved the chair closer to the bed. Tyler felt the urge to move away from the man – he knew that he couldn't trust him, at least not yet, but if he shied away, if he showed cowardice, he might not be able to get the answers that he both wanted and needed.

"Take these." Gregory leaned forwards, holding two pills and a glass of water out towards Tyler. "They will help with the pain."

Tyler bit his lip, looking at the pills. He was not about to take drugs that were being offered to him by a stranger, especially when that stranger may or may not be holding him prisoner.

"No." Tyler shook his head, accepting neither the pills nor the water. "I want answers."

"I know." Gregory nodded. "I realize that we may not have handled our first entrance the best, but we did not prepare for you to have amnesia, we thought that you would remember what had happened in the last month – we're here to give you answers, that's why I brought Alex with me." Gregory gestured to the blonde boy standing behind him. The boy moved forwards as his name was spoken, standing beside Gregory. "This is Alex Pike, my son. He is going to help you remember."

"Hey." Alex raised a hand, waving only slightly at Tyler, who could only nod in return. He had never seen either of these people in his life, and he was convinced that he did not know them. The fact that they seemed to know him only made Tyler more uncomfortable.

"Call if you need anything," Gregory stated, getting out of the chair. "Tyler, please consider taking the painkillers, they really will help you to feel better." With that, Gregory left, closing the door behind him, and Alex moved forwards, taking a seat.

"So you really don't remember me? You don't remember anything?" Alex asked, pushing of his shaggy hair from his green eyes. Tyler just shrugged. He definitely didn't remember this boy, and while he did remember things, it was nothing from the past month…assuming that these people were telling the truth, which they may or may not be.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked, struggling to sit up. Alex instantly stood up, leaning forwards to help prop Tyler up on some pillows before sitting back down and looking at the boy.

"I'm Alex Pike," he stated. "You and I have been pretty damn close for the better part of the last month." Alex paused, tapping on his chin as though he was trying to think of what to say to Tyler. "We're friends," he said finally, not breaking eye contact with Tyler as he spoke.

"We…we are?" Tyler frowned slightly. The boy seemed genuine, but Tyler was absolutely positive that he had never seen the boy before in his life, nor had he seen the boy's father. A part of him wanted to believe what he was being told, because then he would at least have some answers, but he still wasn't ready to trust the Pikes.

"Yeah." Alex shifted in his chair, and Tyler couldn't help but wonder if this boy was as uncomfortable as he was.

"Prove it to me," Tyler said softly. If they were friends, then there were things that Tyler would have told Alex, things that would solidify the boy's claim.

"Okay." Alex nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning. "You're 18 years old, you love motorcycles, in fact you were almost in a motorcycle accident when you were 14 and your parents split up shortly after that. You lost your virginity when you were 17 to the Visitor Lisa in a V shuttle in outer space after finding out that your dad may not be your real father, though your mother swears he is." Alex stopped. "Oh, and you haven't told anyone else yet, but you don't want to go to college, at least not yet. You don't think that you're ready."

Tyler paused. Absolutely everything that he had said was true, and as far as he could remember, Alex was right, he hadn't told anyone that he wasn't ready for college, not even Lisa. If Alex knew that, they must be close, right? He was still unsure of how much to trust the boy, but he was more comfortable around him now.

"How do we know each other?" Tyler asked, biting his lip.

"You and I?" Alex asked.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded.

"We work together." Alex shrugged it off, but Tyler frowned. Work together?

"So you're a Peace Ambassador?" Tyler asked. As far as he knew, that was the only job he did.

"No." Alex shook his head, a very serious look crossing over his face. "I'm not a Peace Ambassador…Tyler, you and I, we're Fifth Column."


	3. You Know It's True, Baby I'd Die For You

Brady sat there, his body and mine both in shock at Alec's words. There was no way that he was Fifth Column…Fifth Column had been trying to kill his friends, trying to destroy the Vs, they were a whole group of anti-V terrorists and he loved the Vs. He was friends with them, hell, he was in love with one of them. Ever since they had come to Earth, they had done nothing but good, so who the hell was this boy to tell him that he was against them?

"No." Brady shook his head. "No, that's…that's not possible." He scooted back, away from Alex. There was no way that he was Fifth Column. "I would never…the Fifth Column is evil, they're trying to destroy the peace that the Vs are working for!"

"No, they're not." Alex spoke in a calm, even tone. "Tyler, I'm not here to manipulate or scare you, and I don't want to confuse you, but have to understand…the things that you used to think about the Vs, they're not true." He looked down. "At least most of them."

"Look, I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want from me, but I am NOT Fifth Column. My girlfriend, she's a V…I love her, I'm crazy about her, I'm would never fight against her!"

"Tyler, I really need you calm down." Alex bit his lip. He reached out to place a hand on Tyler's shoulder but Tyler jerked away, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Calm down? No." He shook his head. "Lisa. I need to talk to Lisa."

"You can't do that."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" Tyler stated, becoming more and more agitated as he sat there. He wanted to get up, to run, to go to the ship and to warn Anna and especially Lisa that the Fifth Column was trying to get to him, get to them, but he was too injured to move. He no longer wanted to trust Alex, he didn't want to believe that he would ever fight against the woman he loved.

"Tyler, I'm not trying to control you." Alex shook his head. "I'm not saying that you can't talk to Lisa because I don't want you to, I'm saying that you can't talk to Lisa because…" Alex looked down. "Because…"

"Because what?" Tyler asked, looking at Alex, who was paused, still saying nothing. "Because what, Alex?" Tyler asked through gritted teeth.

"Because she's dead," Alex whispered.

"No." Tyler shook his head. "I don't believe you, why should I believe you? You've given me no reason to believe you!"

"I…I have proof," Alex said softly, pulling a laptop out from the bag next to the chair. "But…I don't…I don't know if you want to see it."

"What do you mean proof?" Tyler asked. "Did you make a snuff film of my girlfriend?"

"No, no." Alex shook his head. "I didn't…we didn't." He bit his lip. "The Vs did."

"What?" Tyler was already feeling overwhelmed, he didn't think he could believe this.

"Those jackets the Peace Ambassadors wear…they have cameras in them, they record everything. A V was holding your jacket when she died…Tyler, you were there." He bit his lip. "Before you watch the video, there's something that you need to understand about the Vs. They've been lying to you, Tyler…they don't feel human emotions." Alex bit his lip. "At least…at least they don't start out that way."

"What?" Tyler knew the question was getting redundant, but he didn't know what else to say. He was definitely in shock, and it wasn't lessening based on the massive amounts of information that Alex was trying to feed him. Information that, for all he knew, was a lie.

"Their species doesn't feel the emotions of humans, however, some of them, if they meet humans, when they live amongst them, they can become affected by them…that's how the Fifth Column got started." He bit his lip. "In its original form, it was a group of Visitors who turned against their leader because they started to care about the humans that they were sent to help destroy. They all have missions, Tyler, and Lisa's mission…her mission was you."

"No." Tyler shook his head. "I wasn't a mission! She loved me! She loves me! You're lying to me!"

"No, I'm not." Alex shook his head. "But you're not all wrong…she did love you." He bit his lip. "What started off for her as a job turned into something else. She truly did love you, Tyler, and…and that was why she died. Anna had her killed because she changed, she fell in love with you, and through that, she started to identify with the humans." Alex closed his eyes. "Lisa was Fifth Column, Tyler, for several months."

"Show me the video." Tyler's voice was barely a whisper. He didn't believe Alex, he didn't want to believe it.

"Are you sure, Tyler?" Alex bit his lip.

"I'm sure."

"Alright." Alex opened the laptop and pulled up a video screen, pressing play.

_ "Mother, please!" Lisa looked at Anna. "Don't hurt him! Mother, please! I'm begging you!" She looked to the side where two V's were holding Tyler back. He struggled against their grip, but it was no use, their hold was too strong and the boy was getting nowhere. _

_ "Lisa, you have failed me," Anna stated, looking at her daughter, her voice void of any emotion. "You have betrayed your people and you have betrayed me. Your job was to get Tyler on this ship with you, you said he was the one, and I left that choice up to you. You were supposed to get him ready, to get him into position, but you failed." Anna shook her head. "You developed human emotions, and I cannot have that."_

_ "Mother, no." Lisa looked pleading at Anna. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall in love with him! I didn't expect him to be like this! I thought he would be just another human, unimportant, but he's more than that!"_

_ "No, he is not." Anna walked over to Tyler, grabbing him by the chin. "Look at him, Lisa," she stated. "Was he worth it? Was he worth betraying your people for?"_

_ "No, mother!" Lisa shook her head. "It's not like that!"_

_ "Yes, Lisa," Anna stated. "It is." She turned, still holding Tyler's chin, forcing his gaze towards Lisa, who stared into his eyes. "Take a good look at him, Lisa. He is weak, he is crying. He is just one of many, nothing special, so tell me, Lisa." Anna let go of Tyler, walking back towards her daughter. "Was he worth dying for?"_

_ "No!" Tyler's eyes widened and he struggled harder, trying to pull away from his captors._

_ "Yes," Lisa whispered, looking up at her mother. "I can't undo what is done," Lisa stated. "I'm in love with him, and I can't make that stop. You don't see what I see, mother. You see just another pawn in your game, but I see something else."_

_ "Something that is going to get you killed." Anna stated. She held out a capsule, looking at Lisa. "You have two choices. You can take this and die as honorably as you still can considering you have betrayed your entire race, or you can refuse and I will have you skinned."_

_ "NO!" Tyler screamed from where he was being held, still fighting uselessly against the Vs holding him. "NO! ANNA PLEASE!"_

_ "Shut him up," Anna stated to the V's holding Tyler. _

_ "Yes, Anna." One of the men forced his hand over Tyler's mouth, muffling his cries._

_ "Make your choice, Lisa," Anna stated. _

_ "Mother please…" Lisa took the capsule. "I'll take it, but I want your word that Tyler won't be hurt."_

_ "I will make you no such promise." Anna shook her head. "You betrayed me, Lisa. I owe you nothing."_

_ "Mother, please!" Lisa said for the millionth time. "I love him!"_

_ "That means nothing to me." Anna declared. "Now make your choice."_

_ "Fine, but please, let me say goodbye to him." Lisa raised the capsule, turning to Tyler. "I love you, Tyler," she said softly. When the man's hand remained over Tyler's mouth, she turned to her mother. "Mother, please let him speak."_

_ "No." Anna shook her head. "Traitors like you, they do not get to make those decisions."_

_ "Mother-"_

_ "This has gone on long enough, Lisa," Anna stated. "Do it now or I will have you skinned."_

_ "Fine." Lisa turned back to Tyler. "Tyler, I really do love you."_

_ "Mmmmm!" Tyler struggled, trying to get free, at least long enough to stay goodbye. _

_ "Goodbye, Tyler." Lisa raised the capsule to her mouth as Tyler bit down on the hand silencing him. _

_ "LISA, NO!" He screamed as she took the capsule, instantly turning to ash right before his eyes. "No...NO!" Tears poured from his eyes and his struggling stopped instantly. He looked at the pile of ash, then up at Anna. "How…how could you?" he asked. _

_ "I owe you no explanation." Anna shook her head. "You are just a lowly human." She looked up at the Vs holding Tyler. "Lock him up. He may still be of use to us." _

_ "Yes, Anna." The men dragged Tyler from the room, his body limp and wracked with sobs as he was taken away.

* * *

_

_**A/N Hey, I'm sorry to all who like Tyler and Lisa - I actually really like them myself...recently I've liked Lisa more than Tyler. I just want to let you know that I didn't kill her to get her out of the way so that I can bring in some Mary Sue for Tyler, that's not going to happen, so if you're worried about that, don't be. :)**  
_


	4. Searching For a World With Some Soul

When the video ended, Tyler slammed the computer closed, tears streaming down his cheeks. Alex reached out, grabbing the laptop and moving it away. He couldn't believe it – this wasn't possible, not his Lisa. She wasn't dead, she couldn't be. There was no way that there were so many things going on with the Vs that he had not been told about. He had thought they had trusted him, that they cared about him, and they had, hadn't they? Anna had been more of a mother to him than his own mother had been for months, and he couldn't handle the idea that this might have been an act. However, the video seemed incredibly clear. Lisa was dead, she had declaring that she loved him, and Anna had killed her for it. That didn't seem right to him, didn't seem right to him at all. He would have accused the video of being a fake had he not been there. He was in the video, so that had to make it real, didn't it? His breathing became quick and shallow, his eyes widening as he felt his chest tightening up.

"Tyler?" Alex leaned forwards, biting his lip. "Tyler, look at me."

"No." Tyler shook his head, his body wracked with sobs. He turned away from Alex. Maybe this wasn't his fault, and Tyler knew deep down not to shoot the messenger, but he couldn't bring that to the surface, not now. He loved Lisa, she couldn't be dead, and if she was, if this video was accurate, it was his fault. Her loving him had been what had killed her, she had died because her feelings for him had been real.

"Tyler, please," Alex stated. "You've grieved over this before, you got through it, I helped you!" Alex reached out to put his hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"Don't." Tyler pulled back, wincing from the pain caused by his own sudden movement. "Just…just don't." He grabbed one of the pillows, squeezing it against him. This was too much information coming at him too fast, and he couldn't handle it. His girlfriend was dead because of him, her own mother had killed her, the Vs were evil, at least most of them were, he had been their captive for god knows how long, and now he was a part of the fight against them? So much had happened in one month, one pivotal month, and he couldn't remember any of it.

"Tyler, I know this is hard," he whispered.

"You don't!" Tyler shook his head.

"Yes, I do," Alex said firmly. "I may not have felt what you're feeling or now just how hard it is, but I know that it's hard because it was hard for you the first time, and I was there for you the first time." He sat back, deciding to give Tyler his space. "Let me be here for you now."

"I don't even know you," Tyler whispered, sobs still coursing through his body.

"Yes, you do," Alex stated. "You just don't remember it."

"That's the same thing, isn't it?" Tyler snapped.

"No." Alex shook his head. "It's not, because somewhere inside of you there is something, some part of you that knows me, and because I remember you, I know how to help you."

"How can I trust you?" Tyler asked softly. "Everyone that I've trusted has been lying to me!" he turned to Alex, his voice rising with anger. "My parents lied to me about who my father was, Lisa lied to me about who she really was, Anna lied to me about absolutely everything, so why should I believe you?" he asked. "Why should I believe someone that I haven't ever seen before in my life?"

"Because I showed you the truth." Alex gestured towards his bag where the laptop sat. "I showed you what they truly were, that Lisa truly loved you and that Anna is truly evil."

"No." Tyler shook his head. "That's not enough, how do I know that you're not using that to manipulate me?" He felt his whole body shaking and he began to panic. He was surrounded by people that he couldn't trust – there was no one in the world that was willing to tell him the truth, thus there was no one in the world that was willing to care about him. If everything he knew was a lie, then what was true? Lisa had loved him, that was good, but she was dead, that was bad. Anna was evil, that was bad, he was trapped in a place he didn't recognize, that was bad…everything was bad. "How do I know that you're not trying to trap me into trusting you so that you can hurt me or use me just like everyone else?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted. "I've given you the proof, how you decipher it, that's up to you. If you choose to believe that I'm trying to hurt you, as soon as you are healed, you can run away from this, from me, from us, but try to believe me when I tell you that I am your friend, that I am here to help you." He bit his lip. "Try to believe me when I tell you that I was the one who rescued you from the Vs, that I was the one who got you out of their prison and brought you to our base for the first time. Try to believe me when I tell you that my father, our friends and I, we're good people and try to understand that we need your help."

"My help?" Tyler frowned, still trying to process everything that Alex was saying.

"Yes." Alex nodded. "You were so close to the Vs, so close to Anna for so long, you've seen parts of their ships that no one else has, you've been involved in things that no other human has insight towards. We need you, Tyler, to help us take them down."

"I can't trust you." Tyler shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't." He was still crying, looking down at the bed. "I can't work with you."

"Even after what you saw?" Alex asked, frowning slightly. "Anna killed Lisa."

"I know." Tyler gulped. "I know, that's…I can't handle that." He turned away again, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto the bedspread.

"You said that the last time," Alex said softly. "You said that her death was too much for you to take, and for a few days, it was, but that's what rallied you, that's what brought you to us."

"Then how do I know you didn't sell her out?" Tyler asked through gritted teeth. "How do I know that you didn't sell Lisa out to Anna so that I would join you? I'm important, aren't I? Anna said that I was Lisa's mission, I'm some kind of pawn in this sick fucking game that everyone's playing, and if the Vs would have someone seduce me, how do I know you wouldn't use that against me?"

"You don't," Alex said, leaning back in his chair. "But if you won't hear this from me, will you hear it from someone else? Someone you've known? Someone you remember?"

"Who?" Tyler asked through his tears.

"Your mother."

"My mother?" Tyler frowned, turning back to stare at Alex.

"Yes." Alex nodded. "She's one of us, Tyler, she has been for a very long time."

"My mother is Fifth Column?" Tyler's body began to shake harder and he fell back against the pillows as Alex nodded. This was too much information. He was in pain and he couldn't focus. His brain tried to process everything, but it was overwhelming, and he began to hyperventilate, clutching tightly at the pillow as he did so, staring at the ceiling.

"Tyler?" Alex stood up, but Tyler did not acknowledge him. "TYLER!" Still, Tyler ignored the boy, letting the panic attack get the best of him. "Oh shit, DAD!" Alex called.

"What is it?" Gregory burst into the room.

"Dad, I think he's in shock."

"Jesus Christ." Gregory disappeared from the room, returning almost instantly with a syringe.

"Dad, that's not gonna make him trust us," Alex warned as Gregory moved towards Tyler.

"He's already weak," Gregory stated. "If we don't sedate him, he could go into a coma…or worse. Shock can be fatal, Alex," he stated harshly, tapping Tyler's arm to raise a vein before sticking the needle in and letting the sedative flow into Tyler's bloodstream. Tyler's body stopped shaking, he stopped hyperventilating and his eyes closed as his grip on the pillow relaxed. "There," Gregory stated. "When he wakes up, hopefully he will be able to process things better."

"Yeah." Alex turned, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Gregory asked.

"To get Erica."

* * *

**_A/N Alright, I hope that this story is working for you so far. I know that some of my medical facts may be off as well as some of the things from the show may be off. I would like it to be known that because this is fanfiction, I don't spend too much time doing the research for it, and I've only watched through the show once, so I might have missed some important things, and I apologize if something seems off! I hope that you guys are enjoying this, and don't worry, it will get more action-y later on, first we have to get Tyler back to some semblance of functional._**


	5. Looking for Context and Perspective

"Tyler?" Tyler slowly opened his eyes as he felt a cold cloth on his cheek. He looked up to see his mother standing over him, gently dabbing his cheek with the moist towel.

"Mom?" Tyler asked, his voice shaky as he looked up at her. He hadn't believed that they would actually be able to prove that his mother was part of the Fifth Column, and he was surprised to see that she was actually here. "Mom, what's going on."

"Everything that Gregory and Alex told you is true," she said softly. "Everything that they showed you was true."

"How…how long have you known," he whispered, allowing his mother to help him to sit up. "How long have you know that Anna was going to do things like this? Things like killing her own daughter?"

"Since the first day they arrived," Erica said softly, sitting down on the bed next to her son.

"And you kept that from me?"

"I didn't want to." She shook her head. "Tyler, I tried to tell you several times. A couple of times you were wearing your ambassador's uniform, I couldn't tell you anything with that around, it would have been caught on film, the other times…" she sighed, looking down. "You wouldn't listen to me, Tyler. You said that I was against the Vs."

"Yeah." Tyler leaned back, letting out a deep sigh. "I guess…I guess I did." He sat there, trying to keep back the lump that was rising in his throat. This was hard to come to terms with, but if his mother was here, if she was telling him that it was real, well, she had been there for him, even when he hadn't been there for her. "I'm sorry," he said finally, turning to look at her.

"Why are you sorry, Tyler?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm sorry that I chose her over you, I'm sorry that I didn't pay attention to the things that you were trying to tell me, I'm sorry that I let a pretty girl cloud my judgment…" he sighed. "I'm sorry that I was stupid enough not to know that she was lying to me."

"Lisa loved you, Ty," Erica stated.

"I know." He nodded. "But it didn't start out that way, I started out as an assignment, just a project for her."

"And you gave her feelings, human emotions," Erica stated. "You turned her against Anna, she was helping us, Tyler, right up until she died."

"She died for me, mom," Tyler whispered. "I was there."

"I know." Erica nodded. "I saw the video."

"Why?" Tyler asked, looking at his mother. "Why am I so important to them? Why did they need her to seduce me, why did they need to pull me away from my earthly ties and be with them? Why did they need to have me on that ship? There's nothing special about me, there never was, so why now?"

"Tyler, you've always been special," Erica stated.

"Cut the crap, mom," Tyler shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. All mothers think their kids are special, I know why I matter to you, I want to know why I matter so much to them."

"I don't know," Erica said honestly. "Lisa never got around to telling me that, but there's a reason they didn't kill you when they killed Lisa, a reason why they took you prisoner instead of ending your life, and that's what we've been trying to find out." She sighed. "Ty, I promise that I'm going to do everything that I can to protect you from them, okay?" Erica reached out, placing her hand on Tyler's cheek. "I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore."

"Okay." Tyler nodded, not really sure what else to say. He still had a million questions going on in his brain, like why the Vs were here at all, how he had escaped from their prison, how he had gotten injured the way he was now – none of it made sense, at least not yet.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked softly.

"I need answers," Tyler stated.

"Answers to what?"

"Who are the Pike's?" Tyler asked. "Alex and Gregory, who are they? Alex said that he and I are friends, but I don't know if I believe him, I don't know if I can believe anyone."

"You can believe me," Erica said. "And you can trust them, they're good people. They saved you from the Vs, Tyler. They were working with a V on the ship who's in the Fifth Column and that V got them on board, got them to you and got them the videos from your jacket." She bit her lip. "Alex carried you out of there, and you two have been friends ever since."

"Oh." Tyler bit his lip. "I…I don't remember any of that."

"That's what Gregory told me." Erica nodded. "But it's okay, Tyler, it is."

"No, it's not." He shook his head. "They're killing everyone, they took dad, they took Lisa…"

"That's why we're fighting them, Ty." Erica sighed, handing Tyler a glass of water and the painkillers that Gregory had left. "They're trying to destroy us, we're just hoping to get to them before they succeed in their plan."

"And…and I've been on your side?" Tyler asked, biting his lip.

"Once Lisa's death sank in the first time you demanded to join the fight." Erica nodded. "I tried to stop because I didn't want to put you in danger, but you're 18, you made your choice and I respected that."

"So I'm Fifth Column," Tyler asked slowly.

"Yes." Erica nodded.

"And…you're Fifth Column?"

"Yes." Erica looked down, away from her son. "I'm the leader. The job was passed down to me the night your father died."

"Oh." Tyler gulped, a few tears stinging at his eyes. "The night…the night I left you for them."

"That's in the past, Ty," Erica whispered. "You're here now, you know the truth, and that's what matters."

"I have another question."

"Anything, I'll do my best to give you an answer."

"What happened to me?" Tyler looked his mother directly in the eyes. "How did I get here? Why am I all banged up and why don't I remember anything?"

"You were with Gregory, Alex and a few other members of our team, you were ambushed by a couple of trackers. There was a fight and you were injured in the fight." She looked at Tyler. "You were struck on the head with a pipe, you were almost killed, but Father Jack saved your life."

"Father Jack?" Tyler frowned. "No…he's part of this, I knew it!"

"Yes." Erica nodded.

"And…I destroyed him." Tyler gulped. "He saved my life, and I destroyed his parish."

"He lost his collar shortly after that." Erica nodded. "He's not a father anymore, just a soldier like the rest of us."

"And you?" Tyler asked. "Are you still in the FBI?"

"I am." She nodded. "I need to be for the connections it gives me. Anna knows that you're a part of the Fifth Column, but she doesn't know about me. I don't go on the raids, I don't go into the fights, I run everything from the back burner. Everyone believes that I think you're dead, Tyler, and they have to keep thinking that." She bit her lip.

"Why would you think I'm dead?"

"Because." Erica sighed. "That's how Anna covered up Lisa's death. She said that the two of you went into space on one of the V shuttles and that it malfunctioned and you were both killed. Only the Fifth Column knows your alive, and I'm not supposed to know anything."

"Oh." Tyler bit his lip. "So I have to play dead?"

"You're better at it then you'd think." Erica nodded.

"I'm…a soldier now." Tyler gulped.

"You were." Erica nodded. "Whether you still are is up to you." She looked at her son. "You have a choice, Tyler, you can stay here and fight this or you can run, relocate somewhere safe. My people can make you fake documents, perfectly believable, you can run away from all of this."

"No." Tyler shook his head. "They've taken enough from me already, I'm not letting them take my identity too. I'm staying, and once I'm healed, I want back in the ranks. I'll do whatever it takes to bring them down, if what you're telling me is true, it needs to be done."

"I would never lie to you, Tyler," Erica said softly.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded. "I know."

* * *

_**A/N Hey, so here's the next chapter! I'm sick, so I'm a little out of it, no idea if this chapter is any good, but I'm hoping that you guys will let me know! I'm curious to know what you guys think of Tyler, what you think of the way that the story is going, but more importantly, and I know he wasn't in this chapter, what do you guys think of Alex?**_


	6. Choosing My Confessions

A few days went by, and Tyler spent all of his time in the room sleeping, healing and coming to terms with everything that he had learned since waking up. His mother kept away, and Tyler was alone most of the time as everyone had more important things to do than babysit him. However, the time alone was good for him, it let everything sink in, and that, coupled with sleep and the medication Gregory Pile was providing was helping him to recover quickly. It wasn't until the sixth day that Father Jack came to see Tyler.

"Come in," Tyler called as he heard a soft knock at the door.

"Hello." Jack entered, walking over to the bed where Tyler was sitting up, reading news articles from the past month on a laptop borrowed from Gregory.

"Oh." Tyler closed the laptop instantly, biting his lip. For all he could remember, this was the first time that he had a chance to have a real conversation with father Jack. "Hi…" he wasn't sure what to say. He had destroyed Jack's parish, thrown him, metaphorically, to Anna to be destroyed, and Jack had repaid Tyler by saving his life.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked, taking the chair that sat next to Tyler's bed.

"Um, you know…" Tyler bit his lip, not sure what to say. "Better."

"That's good." Jack nodded. "You took some pretty nasty hits during the fight."

"That's what mom said." Tyler looked down, away from Father Jack, unable to make eye contact with the former priest. "She uh…she also told me that you saved my life."

"I killed the tracker that was attacking you, yes." Jack nodded.

"That counts." Tyler bit his lip, looking up and making eye contact with Jack. "Jack, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm sorry for what I did to your parish, for what I did to you. I'm sorry that I put you in the spotlight, I'm sorry that I got your collar revoked and that I destroyed your possessions and threw you to the wolves."

"Tyler, that's in the past now," Jack said softly, reaching out and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You've apologized for it already, whether you remember that or not, and you've more than shown me that we're on the same side now."

"Maybe, but I still feel…wrong." Tyler let out deep sigh, sinking back into the pillows on the bed. "What I did could have gotten you killed, could have gotten my mother killed, lots of people, really…" he trailed off, not wanting to know how many people had died because of him or because of things that he had done.

"What's done is done," Jack stated. "We cannot go back and change our actions, but we can regret them and feel remorse for them. It is those who do not look back and see what they did as bad that are in the wrong. You are different, Tyler. You understand that what you did was wrong and you genuinely feel sorry for it." Jack offered Tyler a small smile. "We're on the same team now."

"I should have been on this side from the beginning," Tyler stated. "I feel stupid, so fucking foolish for being seduced by Lisa, by Anna, by their world and what not, I just feel like…like I caused a lot of damage."

"Tyler, it wasn't your fault. The Vs were doing everything in their power to draw you towards them, to drive a wedge between you and your family so that you would run to them. Any human would have fallen for their tricks, Tyler. The Vs are seductive creatures and impeccable liars. They had access to your memories and emotions, and they prayed upon your vulnerability. Anyone in your position would have done the same."

"Even you?" Tyler challenged.

"Even me." Jack nodded. "We all make mistakes, Tyler, and as far as it goes, yours could have been a lot worse."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you the way that I did, I shouldn't have fed you to Anna like that."

"No, you shouldn't have." Jack shook his head. "And I'm not going to say that it's fine, because it wasn't, but right now, you and I, we're on good terms. We're on the same side, and I can forgive you for what you did, I have forgiven you. The Fifth Column needs you, Tyler. You're a good fighter and a very loyal member, or at least you have been for the past month."

"I don't remember any of it," Tyler whispered, putting his hand to his forehead. "I thought that when someone explained things to me, it might start to come back, but nothing has."

"You took a very strong blow to the head," Jack stated. "I saw the pipe strike you, I was surprised you survived it without serious brain damage, to be honest." Jack smiled. "You're strong, Tyler, and you're an incredibly valuable asset to the resistance."

"Why am I so valuable?" Tyler asked.

"Because you are the human that has gotten the closest to the Vs on a personal level," Jack stated. "You have access to things that other people have never even thought of."

"But they were lying to me," Tyler reminded him. "Everything that they told me was false."

"Not everything." Jack shook his head. "And you have a strong knowledge of the ship, you know the way that Anna works and now that you know the truth, you might be able to recall some of the things that you have seen, things that might be able to help us. Every advantage that we can get, no matter how slight, matters."

"And I'm an advantage?" Tyler asked.

"Yes." Jack nodded. "Not only because you know things, though. You care, you're emotionally invested in this. You've lost a lot at the hands of the Vs and that makes you stronger and more intent than many of our other young members. Knowing that feeling of loss, that gives you something to fight for, something that not everyone has."

"What drives you?" Tyler asked. "If you haven't lost any family to the Vs, what drives you to do this?"

"I'm a priest, Tyler," he stated. "They may have taken away my parishioners and my collar, but at heart, I am still a priest, and I don't like the way Anna is trying to play god. She is attacking what I believe to be the highest power and putting herself in that position. People are worshipping her as a messiah, and above all else, I see that as wrong."

"I don't believe in god," Tyler whispered.

"And you don't have to." Jack shook his head. "I'm not going to try and make you believe in god, that's not my job. I'm not a missionary, I don't convert, I simply spread what I believe to be the necessary word to people who believe as I do."

"Sometimes I wish I did, though." Tyler sighed. "Might give me some hope…but I know I'm past that point now. If god existed, he wouldn't have let the Vs do this to us, he wouldn't have done such horrible things to everyone."

"Maybe, maybe not." Jack shrugged. "Everyone is allowed their own opinion."

"If you're a priest, though, aren't you supposed to be a pacifist?" Tyler asked.

"Many believe so, yes." He nodded. "But sometimes there are things that you need to fight for, things that transcend pacifism. If we don't fight, the human race will be eradicated, and then who will be there to believe in god?"

"So you're fighting for god," Tyler stated. "My mother is fighting for me, and I'm fighting for Lisa and my father." He bit his lip.

"On the smallest scale, yes." Jack nodded. "But the big picture is simple. We're all fighting for the survival of humanity."

* * *

_**A/N Sorry if this chapter seemed boring or repetitive, I just wanted to get Tyler and Father Jack talking at least on some level. The next chapter should be more interesting, as it will finally see Tyler out of his room!**_


	7. A World Worth Dying For

Another several days went by, Tyler healing more and more with every one of them. He was past walking and moving, and his body was physically fine. The wound on his head had healed up nicely and the stitches had been removed, and the cuts and scrapes on his body had closed up well. He seemed to be almost back to normal, save for, of course, the memory. He had come to terms with the fact that Lisa was dead, and now, more than ever before, he was raring to get into the resistance, to join the fight. He had told both his mother and Jack that he wanted back in, that he was on their side, and now that he was healed, he was ready to really mean what he had said.

"Hey." Alex walked into the room wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, a smile on his face. "Word around the base is that you want to get back in the fight."

"Yeah." Tyler nodded, getting out of bed and pulling a t-shirt on over his head. "Got something I can do?"

"Well since you've been out for awhile and don't remember, we have to make sure your combat skills are up to par." He smiled. "Sure, a lot of this is done without physical contact, but as I'm sure you know, judging by that scar on your forehead, sometimes we have to engage in combat. Weapons are best, but it's important to be able to fight without them at least until you can get your hands on something that can be used as one. You went through the training before, but I guess you don't remember that…"

"Sorry, no." Tyler shook his head.

"Alright, well come with me and I'll get you started." Alex waved his hand and Tyler followed him. They went into a big, open room with a large mat on the floor and several pieces of weight lifting equipment in the corner. "This is where we make sure we're in shape," Alex explained. "Now I'm going to come at you, just try and defend yourself, alright?"

"Okay." Tyler nodded, walking onto the mat, more than a little nervous. He had gotten in his fair share of fights, and he had a strong punch, but most of those fights were broken up quickly and he'd been wounded in them on more than one occasion.

"I'll go easy on you for now," Alex informed him as he walked forwards, his fists raised. Tyler spread his legs apart, standing as ready as he could be, just waiting for Alex to hit him. Surprisingly, however, when the punch came, Tyler's body jumped into action. He ducked Alex's hit and offered a swift kick to the stomach that knocked Alex over in return.

"Holy shit…" Tyler walked over to him and offered his hand to help Alex up. "I'm so sorry…I…I didn't know I could do that."

"Wow." Alex smiled, taking the hand and getting to his feet. "That's really interesting."

"What's interesting?" Tyler tilted his head to the side.

"What happened just there…your body remembers your combat training, I taught you that move." He smiled.

"You did?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, and I was about to teach it to you again, but clearly I don't need to…" Alex brushed himself off. "Let's see what else you remember, alright?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means we're going to do a fair spar. No one goes easy on anyone, last man standing wins."

"Fair enough." Tyler nodded. He wanted to put up a brave front. If he was going to convince the Fifth Column that he was ready to get back in the fight, he had to show them that he was brave and ready for anything, though the truth was, he was in awe of what he had just done. His body had reacted without his mind, and that scared him a little.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded, though he wasn't sure if he was or not.

"Okay." Alex came at him again, and the fighting commenced. Both boys threw several good hits and kicks and both blocked and dodged the advances of their opponent. Tyler's eyes widened every time his body did something that he hadn't known he was capable of, and Alex just smiled.

After several minutes of rough fighting, Alex managed to kick Tyler's legs out from under him, leaving Tyler panting as he lay on the mat. Alex walked over to him, this time being the one to offer his hand.

"Guess that makes you the winner," Tyler stated, wiping sweat from his brow with his arm.

"Don't sweat it," Alex stated. "I was a better fighter than you to begin with, that and I know how to fight you, mostly because I trained you." He smirked. "You're a good fighter, though, Ty, you really are."

"Better than I knew, apparently." Tyler laughed, trying to make light of the situation. He didn't think that his memory was going to come back, at least not anytime soon, and he needed to be ready for everything that was coming at him. His father was dead, his girlfriend was dead, everything and everyone else that he cared about was in danger, and he needed to be ready to defend them. There were so many people out there that were like him, that had been seduced by the gifts the Vs claimed to be bringing to the world, and since only a few people knew the truth, those few needed to be the strongest, and he was one of them. Tyler knew that he needed to be strong, if for no one other reason than to defend humanity.

"Tyler, you alright, man?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side.

"What?" Tyler asked, turning around to face him. "Yeah, fine, just thinking."

"Oh, well in that case, penny for your thoughts?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Just thinking that I'm sweaty and gross and could probably use a shower," Tyler lied.

"Wow…you concentrate really hard on thinking about showers," Alex teased. "Come on, what were you really thinking about?"

"They outnumber us," Tyler said softly. "Like…they _really_ out number us, at least they outnumber those of us who know the truth."

"I know." Alex nodded.

"Doesn't that scare you?" Tyler asked. "Doesn't that make you feel like maybe we're fighting a war we have no hope of winning?"

"Are you kidding?" Alex laughed, though it seemed to be humorless. "Everything about this war fucking terrifies me…doesn't mean that don't fight." He turned to Tyler, looking at the boy seriously. "This is important, Tyler. Maybe our numbers aren't as strong, but we're gaining power, and if we can strike when they don't see us coming, we'll have the advantage. If we built a huge army, they'd be able to track us more easily. Right now, they don't know what we're doing, what we're preparing and what we're thinking. As long as we keep them out, we have a fighting chance." He bit his lip, leaning against the wall. "And yeah, there's a good chance that we will all die fighting the Vs, but if there's even a modicum of hope that we might succeed, it's worth it. Compared to the human race, our individual lives, they're meaningless, Tyler." Alex looked at the boy. "We're not fighting this for ourselves, Tyler," Alex stated. "We're fighting for everyone else, for the men, women and children who don't know the truth, for the innocent people who, like you once were, have been seduced by the Visitors."

"Oh." Tyler bit his lip.

"This is what it all comes down to, Tyler," Alex said, his voice quiet. "Are you willing to die for this?" He made direct eye contact with Tyler, looking at him, his expression filled with the utmost intensity as he waited for the response.

"Yes," Tyler said finally. "Yes, I am."

"Then you're ready." Alex put his hand on Tyler's shoulder, patting it.

"Ready for what?"

"Ready to be back in the war."

* * *

_**A/N Alright, Tyler's out of bed rest and back in the game! If any of you guys have ideas or suggestions, I'm totally open to them! I don't have a set course for this story to run, and I'm hoping that it won't suck...**_


	8. Dedication Takes a Lifetime

"So how exactly does all of this work?" Tyler asked, sitting across from Alex as they ate lunch. "How does being a part of the Fifth Column happen? Like…what do we do?"

"Well people you and I, we wait." He bit his lip. "You see, we get our instructions from people like Jack Landry, your mother, my father, people who are leaders in the group. Sometimes we go on little missions to retrieve something, sometimes we're assigned to go protect someone or pick them up, sometimes we're supposed to try and sneak on to the V ship using one of the tour shuttles and just look around, though you probably won't be doing any of that, seeing as Anna knows you too well." He shrugged. "There are Vs on the ship who are loyal to us, and they give us a lot of the heads up that we need."

"So what you're saying is that we spend a whole lot of time doing nothing?" Tyler asked.

"Essentially, yes, but when we do something, it's really important." He bit his lip. "You see, recently the Vs have been taking people, and we have a list of who we think are the targets and we're supposed to go out and track them down, protect them, let them know what they're really up against."

"Wow…" Tyler bit his lip. "God these aliens are evil."

"They really are." Alex nodded, shoveling a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "We don't totally know what they want from us yet, but with the things they've done…they definitely want something, they're just getting us ready. We don't know when it's gonna hit or what it's gonna be, but it'll be big."

"Hey Alex." A girl with tan skin and dark hair slid down into the seat next to Alex. "Tyler." She nodded at Tyler, and he frowned. He had never seen her before in his life, at least as far as he knew.

"Tyler, this is Luciana Rodriguez, she's one of the good guys." Alex smiled at the girl before looking back at Tyler. "You two are friends too, I guess you'll have to relearn that one."

"Oh, cool." Tyler held his hand out for Luciana to shake. "It's nice to meet you again, I'm sorry that I didn't remember…"

"Hey, no harm, no foul, it's not like it's your fault." She shrugged, shaking his hand amiably. "Also, I go by Lucy, none of this Luciana business."

"Lucy it is then." Tyler nodded, turning to Alex. "Is she your girlfriend?" he asked.

"What?" Alex and Lucy both began to laugh. "Definitely not." Alex shook his head.

"I bat for the other team, if you know what I mean." Lucy shot Tyler a wink before settling in to eat her meal.

"Oh." Tyler nodded in understanding. He had had a couple of friends before who were bisexual, but he had never been friends with a full on lesbian…at least not that he could remember.

"So, the old memory is failing you, eh?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, pretty much." Tyler nodded. "Is there anything important that I should know?"

"Aside from the fact that I can kick your butt in sparring?" She shook her head. "Nah."

"I don't think I can beat anyone in sparring." Tyler laughed.

"It's weird," Alex supplemented. "He doesn't remember anything that happens, but his body remembers how to fight."

"Actually I think that's pretty normal." Lucy shrugged. 'Then again, I'm a college drop-out, so what would I know?"

"Nothing," Alex teased. "Nothing at all."

"How did you get involved with the Fifth Column?" Tyler asked Lucy, tilting his head to the side. He was curious to know how people found about the Vs being evil, how people knew.

"Well, long story short, my stepdad was a sleeper," she explained. "He'd been here for years, and when he married my mom I had no idea, but one day shortly after the mother ship arrived, he cut himself cooking, we saw what they truly look like, at least a part of him, and he went ape shit. He killed my mom and I barely escaped."

"Oh." Tyler looked down. "I'm really sorry, Lucy…"

"They got your dad, so I know you know what it's like." She reached out, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? We're all fighting because we've lost people."

"Oh?" Tyler looked across the table at Alex. "Who did you lose?"

"I have to go." Alex grabbed his tray and got up, his tone harsh. He walked away quickly, leaving Lucy and Tyler.

"What…" Tyler frowned. "What did I do?" Tyler asked.

"Alex is very sensitive about that," Lucy stated. "I guess I just assumed that he'd told you, I know he told you the first time around, or at least someone else did."

"Tell me what?" Tyler asked.

"His younger brother ran away two years ago," she explained. "He had a huge fight with the family, he had gotten into drugs and he wasn't willing to go to rehab or get the help that he needed. He and Alex had always been close, and when he left, it took Alex apart." Lucy let out a deep sigh. "I don't know if anyone told you, but the Vs have been going around taking people, and they've kept records of when they took them…he found his brother's name on that list."

"Oh my god." Tyler gulped, no longer feeling the urge to finish his food. "What do they want with the people they take?"

"We don't know," Lucy admitted. "At least not yet, but we're working on it. All that we know is most of the people they have targeted are people that aren't going to be missed, or if they are, investigations as to their whereabouts are not going to go on for very long."

"Shit." Tyler sighed, looking down at the table. "So he doesn't know what they're doing to his brother?"

"Not a clue." She shook her head. "That's why he's here, that's why he's fighting. He wants to find John." She looked away, not making eye contact with Tyler.

"What is it?" Tyler asked. "You're keeping something from me."

"He was taken almost six months ago, according to the list we have," Lucy explained. "I don't think that there's much of a chance that John's still alive. Even if we do find out what happened to him, I think that it's really unlikely we'll find John alive."

"Does Alex know?" Tyler asked.

"People keep telling him, you know, preparing him for the worst, but he won't listen to them, he won't believe that his brother is dead."

"Well maybe he's not," Tyler reasoned. "I mean, I was on the V ship as a prisoner, they didn't kill me."

"They needed you for something," Lucy countered.

"Yeah, well maybe they need John for something too."

"Maybe."

"I guess the most we can do is hope, right?" Tyler bit his lip.

"I pray for it every night." Lucy sighed. "But the more and more I hear about the things the Vs are doing, the less I believe that anyone's hearing my prayers."

"Yeah." Tyler reached across the table, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "I know what you mean."

* * *

**_A/N Alright, so two things! 1. I received an anonymous review from someone requesting that I introduce a female HUMAN love interest for Tyler. Now I don't know what the rest of you think, but I DO want your opinions on this. I wasn't going to do that because I think that, at this point, with everything that Tyler's been through, a relationship is the last thing that he needs. However, if a majority of responders wants him to have a love interest, I can work on trying to create one that isn't a mary sue._**

**_2. I DID introduce Lucy this chapter because I wanted to have a kind of tough-as-nails female character. I made her a lesbian because I promised that I wouldn't introduce any female mary sues that were headed for Tyler's affections, but I think this story needed a girl close to their age, and lesbians can be really fun to write. Let me know what you think of Lucy so far! I can keep her in the background or make her a more prominent character.  
_**


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